Automatic stop and start device for phonographs



L. R. WOLFF.

AUTOMATIC STOP AND START DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6. 1920.

Patented Feb. 28,1622.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- .zmg g 40% 0% L. R. WOLFF.

AUTOMATIC STOP AND START DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAT 7 APPLICATION FILED APR-6,1920. gmy ggg v Patentex'i D ...o, 1922.

3 $HEETSSHEET 2.

L R'. WOLFF.

AUTOMATIC STOP AND START DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLTGATION FILED APR. 0, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

) PATENT OFFICE.

0s ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

A'EITTQMATIC STOP AND START DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

wig-dual application filed April 19, 1919, Serial No Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 1922. 291,380. Divided 1920. Serial No. 371,757.

To aZZ wi'mm c'zf may concern."

Be it known that l, LORENZ R. l/VOLFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Automatic Stop and Start Device for Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of machines used. for the purpose of reproducing sound from records, the invention as hereinafter shown and described more particularly relating to the control of a phonograph of the type used for reproduction of sound from disk records.

" This application is a divisional application covering certain subject matter disco pending application for patclosed in my ent filed on the 19th day of April, 1919, Serial No. 291,380, for a phonograph.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a device to be used in connection with a disk record machine, such device embodying an automatic starting and stop-' ping mechanism which also includes .a switch for controlling the electric current used for operating the motor power which drives a phonograph.

of i Fig. 7 1s a view similar to Fig. 6 show- Other objects and advantages will'appear hereinafter from the following specification.

Referringto the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is a plan view of a device ing a form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view, partly in section, of the tone arm supporting device and switch mechanism.

' *ig. 4c ira, Fig. c

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of that portion of the machine shown in Fig. 3, and in addition thereto the tone arm and the parts carried therewith.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged rear elevation, partly in section, of the tone arm member switch.

embody ing the parts in resetting position.

if; 3 isan enlarged vertical, sectional view on line 8 43, Fig. 3' with'thetone arm support omitted. i

Fig. :9 is diagrammatic view showing is a vertical sectional view on line the driving mechanism and electrical connections to the automatic starting and stopping device.

20 designates the top of a cabinet which in the form shown constitutes a supporting member for the machine, such supporting member having. secured thereto on the under side, by means of suitable screws 21, a bracket 22 in which is mounted a vertical shaft 23 freely rotatable in the bracket and having its lower end resting upon a ball 24 so that the shaft 23 may rotate with as lit tle friction as possible in the bracket. The shaft 23 extends through an opening 25 formed in the supporting member 20 and has secured thereto by means of a pin 26 a circular table 27, the edge of which is ing cable or cord 29. The shaft 23 extends above the table 27 and forms a centering device for the disk record 30 which rests upon the table.

The cable 29 pulley 32 which mounted in a bracket 34 secured to the under side of the supporting member '20. 36 designates a grooved shaft 33, which pulley 36 is driven by means of a cable 37 from a pulley 38 mounted upon a countershaft 39. The shaft 39 is driven through the mediumv of a large passes around a grooved pulley -10 which in turn is driven by a cable.

41 from a pulley 42, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9, mounted on a shaft l3, such shaft 43 being driven by a pulley 49 mounted thereon which in turn is driven by a cable 45 from a pulley 46 on a motor 47 which is mounted in any suitable manner in the phonograph.

The tone arm 50 may consist of any well known design as may also the reproducer 51 mounted ci il-the end of the arm 50, it being understood," however, that the tone. arm 50 swings horizontally as is commonly done and that the'arm 50is connected toga horn in the usual manner. The tone arm, however, is

and this application filed April 6,v

grooved as indicated at 28 to receive a driv is secured to a shaft 33 pulley mounted on the not permitted to rest its weight upon the 56 to which is secured in any suitable manner a flat spring 57, the outer end of which extends under and supports the head 58 of a square connecting bar 59. r p

(50, (St) designate two spring wires which have one end secured in any suitable manner in the ing 56 and their outer ends secured to the head 58 ot' the bar 55). 61 designates a bridge or support mounted on the wire tit) and resting upon the spring 57 to retain the wires (50 and spring 57 in the proper relation to each other. The square bar 59 is provided with a head (32 formed on the outer end thereof in which head 2 is supported two spring wires (33. the outer end of such wires 63 extending intoa yoke (34-. which yoke (it is lined with t'elt or similar material indi cated at (35 forming a rest or support which engages the under side of the tone arm near its outer end thereby forming an elastic cushion for the tone arm.

Means are provided for running the mechanism according to the length of records played and consists in general of an electric switch by means ol which an electric current is controlled for running the motor 47.

Mounted on theundcr side of the supporting member L") are two binding posts and 71. a wire T2 being connected to the post it] and a wire 73 being connected to the post T1. 74 designates a spring contact member mounted on the post T and T5 designates a spring contact member-mounted on the. post 71. Resting upon the contact member 74 is a rod 70. the upper end of such rod being secured to the lower member T7 of a switch member. The switch member comprises a lower plate 77 and an upperplate 79 connected by means of a central post 79 and a post 80 at each cud. such posts being freely slidable in guides 51 formed on a segmental carrier plate 2 which is slidably mounted in a circular path upon a base plate 93. such base plate 8;; being secured to the supporting member 20 by suitable screws. The carrier plate 82 is provided with slots 84 through which extend headed pins 85 for the purpose of guiding the carrier plate R2 on the plate 82-3. The plate H2 is movable in the. path of a circle. having its center of movement in. the center of the tone arm standard and the switch member is elastically held in elevated position by means of coiled springs R6 on the posts 80. v

The position of the plate 82 on the base plate 83. and c mscqucntly the switch member carried therewith, is regulated by means of the. bell crank lever pivotally mounted upon a pin 91 to the under side of the supporting member 20. The end 92 otthe arm 90 is provided with a fork 93 which engages the post 76, and the other end 94 of thearm 90 is bent upwardly as indicated at 95 extending through a slot 96 in the supporting member 21) and then outwardly, forming a pointer 97 which moves over a gage 98 having markings 99 thereon correspondingto the grooves in the record.

Mounted upon the square bar 59 of the tone arm supporting mechanism is an arm I being held in adjusted position thereon by means of a setscrew 1H1. Vertically slidable in the outer end of the arm lot) is a rod 1 2 secured to the arm by means of a set screw 103. The rod 102 at its lower end is proi'ided with an extension 10% upon which is secured a pin 1%. Pivotally mounted upon a bolt 106 on the lower end of the rod 10'. is a dog 10?, such dog having an arm 1(" 't'ormed thereon which is provided with a notch 10!) which receives the pin'lU5. Mount ed on the arm is a flat spring 110 which is engaged by the arm 108 of the dog as hereinafter described. The wires 72 and 723 form a motor circuit in which is a-ranged electrogcnerative mechanism. n the present instance being indicated as a battery 11:2, it being iuulerstood. however, that any common form of connection may be used to a lamp socket. The wires 72 and 73 are connected to the motor 47 which motor drives the table 27 through the connections heretofore described. The phonograph is operated in the foll0wmg manner:

hen the record is selected it: is placed upon the table 27 and the pointer 97 is moved to set the mechanism so that the mechanism will stop when the record has finished playing. This is done by preferably having the record marked correspond ing to the scale 98. The setting of the pointer 97 moves the post 76 thereby moving the plate H2 and the switch member carried thereby upon the base plate 8 The tone arm is then moved down so that the needle 120 engages the face of the record. This downward movement of the tone arm causes the dog it)? to engage the top plate T8 of the switch member and the weight of the tone arm transferred to the .switch member pushes ,the switch member downwardly together with the post Tr, thereby bringing the contact member T-t into contact with the contact member 75, closing the electric circuit and starting the motor 47. the motor 47 driving the table 27 lit through the cable connections heretofore delllt) is commonly done to bring the the plate 78 against the arm 108 on the dog, pushes the To return the tone arm out of. the way the reproducing mechanism 51 is moved as needle outof contact with the record, and the tone arm swung back to its original position. As the tone arm is swung back, the dog strikes the end of the plate over which it has just passed, and as the dog is' free to rotate on 1ts pivot against the pressure of the end of the plate, the dog is swung into the position shown in Fig. 7 until it has passed beyond when the spring 110, acting g og into its original position-as shown in It is to be noted that the plate 78 has an off-set portion 125 which is provided for the purpose of accommodating records which may have the grooves in such position that they are not accommodated by the main ortion of the late 78, and when such 0 -;set portion 125 IS used, it is understood that the arm 100 is moved on the square rod 59 to it is to be bring the dog 107 into contact with the offset portion 125 instead of the main plate 78.

While I have shown and described a particular style of table and connections between the phonograph table and the motor,

understood that such driving connections do not form a part of my invention, but that any form of driving connections between the table and the motor may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

From the above it will be readily understood that the simple act of moving the tone arm so that the needle will register and contact with the first groove of the record closes the electric circuit and starts the phonograph.

'VVhatI claim is 1. In a phonograph the combination of a rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a motor circuit, contact members in said circuit for making and breaking the circuit, a switch member mounted on the phonograph, means on the switch member adapted to engage one of said contact members, a plate on said switch member, an elastic supporting member for the tone arm of the phonograph, and means on said elastic supporting member arranged to engage the plate on the switch member.

2. In a phonographthe combination of a rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a motor circuit, contact members in said circuit for making and breaking the circuit, a switch member mounted on the phonograph, means on the switch member adapted to engage one of said contact members, a plate on said switch member, and means on the tone arm of the phonograph arranged to engage said plate to operate the switch.

3. In a phonograph the combination of a rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a

cuit for making and breaking the circuit,

a switch member mounted on the phonograph, means on the switch member adapted to engage one of said contact members, means on the tone arm of the phonograph arranged to operate said switch to close the contacts, and means for varying the position of the switch with relation to the tone arm.

4. In a phonograph the combination. of a rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a motor circuit, contact members in said circuit for making and breaking the circuit, a switch member mounted on the phonograph, means on the switch member adapted to engage one of said contact members, a plate on said switch member, an elastic supporting member for the tone arm of the phonograph, means on said elastic supporting member arranged to. engage the plate on the switch member, and means for varying the. position of said plate with relation to said tone arm.

5. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a motor circuit, contact members in said circuit for making and breaking the circuit, a switch member mounted on the phonograph consisting of a plate and a rod carried by said plate arranged to engage one of the contact members, means for elastically holding said plate in elevated position, means on the tone arm arranged to engage said plate to depress said plate whereby said rod closes said circuit through the contact members, and means for varying the position of said plate with relation to the tone arm according to the length of the record to be played.

6. In a phonograph, the combination ofa rotatable table for disk records, a motor, a motor circuit, contact members in said circuit for making and'breaking the circuit, a switch member mounted on the phonograph consisting of a plate and a rod carried by said plate arranged to engage one of the contact members, means for elastically holding said plate in elevated position, means on the tone arm arranged to engage said plate to depress said plate whereby said rod closes said circuit through the contact members, a lever mounted on the phonograph, a fork on the lever arranged to. engage the rod, a pointer on the lever, and a scale on the phonogra h coincident with the pointer correspont ng to the grooves in the phonograph records.

7. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable table for disk records, driving mechanism for the table, controlling mechanism for the driving mechanism, an elastically supported movable plate for operating said controlling mechanism, and depress ing means on the tone arm of the phouograph arranged to travel over said plate.

8. In a phonograph, the combination of a rotatable table for disk records, driving mechanism for the table, controlling mechanism for the driving mechanism, an elastically supported plate for operating said con trolling mechanism, plate depressing means on the tone arm of the phonograph arranged to travel over said plate, and means for 

